Summary
- A new 12GB RAM Plus option is coming with One UI 8, an upgrade from 8GB in One UI 7.
- Virtual RAM offers more app efficiency without a physical RAM upgrade.
- Samsung’s decision to increase virtual RAM is important due to limited physical RAM in high-end Galaxy phones.
RAM Plus is a handy Samsung Galaxy trick for users short on RAM. It allocates a portion of the phone’s internal storage to act as virtual RAM so background apps can work more efficiently. Now it seems
Samsung
will increase the amount of virtual RAM available to your phone in One UI 8.
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The update introduces a new 12GB option for RAM plus (via Sammobile). That’s a big upgrade from the current maximum of 8GB offered in One UI 7. This should give Galaxy phones some better breathing room, considering how resource-heavy Samsung devices can be when it comes to RAM.
It’s more RAM without actually adding RAM
Virtual RAM isn’t quite the same as physical RAM. For starters, virtual RAM is a lot slower, since it uses your phone’s storage space rather than a physical high-speed memory chip. But it’s useful for keeping more apps ‘alive’ in the background without needing to reload them every time you switch apps. The more virtual memory available, the more smoothly your phone can juggle multiple apps.
This decision by Samsung is relevant given how stingy Samsung is with RAM in its high-end lineup. For example, the Galaxy S25 Ultra only ships with 12GB of physical RAM, a paltry amount considering the demands from all the AI features Samsung packs in. At least a bump in virtual RAM will help offset the limited memory available.
The upgraded RAM Plus settings in One UI 8 will now include 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and a 12GB option. Users can choose the amount of virtual RAM to allocate, depending on need. Mid-range phones with limited storage may want to stick to a smaller amount of virtual RAM. However, anyone with 512GB or more of storage should have no issue maxing out their RAM Plus. It at least helps stretch your phone’s muscles.
Coming later with One UI 8
One UI 8 is still in early development stages. It’s not expected to start rolling out until later this year. Its wider rollout could easily last into next year, considering how slow the One UI 7 rollout has taken. We expect newer Samsung devices like the Galaxy S25 series and Fold and Flip devices to get the update first.
